Visitors were greeted in the atrium by a traditional Chinese dragon dance head. Events of the afternoon next opened with performances of 'sonic choreography' by dancer Fangfei Miao (SMTD faculty) and percussionist James Koo and his ensemble (repeated twice to rapt audiences). Collaborative scroll making in the activity room featured artist Zhen Guo swirling a giant tai-chi brush dipped in sumi ink for writing the Chinese character 'dragon' on a floor scroll while visitors unleashed their creative side by drawing pictures or writing words (Chinese, English, Hindi...) on a table-length living scroll about dragons. For storymakers, there was dragon zine-making and a scavenger hunt for the restless, who found dragons hiding in artwork throughout the museum. Dragons everywhere, all at once.
Initiated by the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies, this program was a collaboration with the University Art Museum to introduce celebrated artists, dancers, and musicians to the community--and bring about ideas and experiences that inspire creativity and artistry. Additional support came from the U-M Center for World Performance Studies, the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, ArtsEngine, and the Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments, along with generous support from the University of Michigan Credit Union Arts Adventures Program.
Why a dragon event? Slightly sci-fi, magnificent, and bizarre, the dragon is a single creature that, in Asian tradition, is a mélange of different animals, and a symbol to everyone of inclusivity, strength, and courage. The dragon is also a magnet for group experiences--and like the dragon’s composite makeup, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, with each individual at Family Day adding to the flavor/aesthetic of the afternoon's collective celebration of myth and magic. Over 300+ visitors attended one of UMMA's largest family days to date.
The afternoon also served as a stepping stone to a broader project scheduled for Ann Arbor in Winter 2026. Visitor contributions to the dragon scroll and the calligrapher's giant, brushed characters will have resonance as part of an exhibit and program held in Winter 2026. Artist Zhen Guo will create a dragon head sculpture using recycled materials, while students and volunteers craft the dragon’s body for use in performances scheduled around campus and at community art sites (Full Moon) and festivals.
Stay tuned for more on this transformative creature—always visible traveling through culture, time, and space, one look at the dragon brings infinite good luck.
